The End
by Amateurhuman
Summary: Max and Chloe have a final farewell.
1. A Final Farewell

The day was crisp and clear. A steady fall wind blew from the ocean and the sun was shining down from an almost cloud free sky on the little house. Max sat on the veranda, the big windows open to the sea, letting in a gentle breeze. It was a bit chilly but Max lay under some thick blankets, enjoying the view and the sound of crashing waves from below. This had been hers and Chloe's place for the past seventy years, and the quaint little lodge was like a part of herself now.

"Are you sure you are all right now, Mrs Caulfield-Price?" The young man said.

"Yes, yes, and call me Max for heavens sake, Danny."

Daniel had been her caregiver since a couple of months ago when Chloe's hips had finally given up. Max peered up at him from beneath her covers.

"Why don't you go and check on my wife, and tell her I want her out here when she is available. Then you can be on your way."

"Will do, Max, will do." Daniel looked at the white-haired spindly little lady in her reclining chair. She had always been frail, but during the last weeks she had really thinned, and now she looked emaciated. It made him feel worried for her, but at the same time he was really impressed by the two old ladies, both over a hundred years old, living here, far away from everything. They were either very brave, or very foolish, and living on the edge so to speak. That was how they wanted it to be, no doubt. Daniel shook his head and smiled inwardly as he went to check on the other Mrs Caulfield-Price.

Max dozed of for a little while in the sunshine but was woken by a fluttering of feathers. A little bluejay sat perched on the board of the open window.

Max smiled and raised a pale thin hand.

"Hey… " she whispered, "I know you…"

The bird flapped it's wings and then took a leap. It landed on her outstretched hand and gazed at her with black beady eyes. Max smiled back and nodded. They sat together in an amicably stillness for a while. Then, suddenly, the bird took flight out the window, and was gone.

Max made a small laugh and shook her head, then she sighed deeply.

 _This have been a good life. This will be a good day to die on._

Chloe came hobbling down the steps to the veranda. She clutched her walking stick hard as she carefully limped the last bit to the chair beside Max. Physically, Chloe had always been the stronger one between them, now her tall back was crooked, and her legs didn't really obey her anymore, but still she was energetic and her eyes shone blue as they always had. Panting she sat down and placed the stick at her side before turning to Max with a smile on her wrinkled face.

 _Still as cute as ever,_ Max though as she patted Chloe on the hand lovingly.

"It's a nice day." Chloe said, looking out at the ocean and the blue sky.

"It sure is." Said Max, taking a straggling breath.

"So, you wanted something?" Chloe said, looking back at her wife since eighty years, thinking how time really flies when you are having fun.

"Yes, honey, can you reach me that cup of water?" Max made a small gesture at the sideboard that was placed on her other side.

Chloe looked at her incredulously.

"Is that why you asked me to come?"

"No," Said Max.

Chloe reached over her and fetched the mug and helped Max take a sip from the straw. Max coughed weakly before continuing.

"I wanted to talk to you about our life. You know, what has been good, and if there is something you would've wanted we did differently. Stuff like that."

"Again?" Chloe scrunched an already furrowed brown. "You have asked me all this before, you remember that, don't you?" She gave Max a little worried glance. "And I am more for making new memories than sit and recall old ones, you know."

"Yes, I know, darling, I know." Max laughed a little, "I just want to be sure I don't forget."

"I don't really see the point, but okay." Chloe leaned back in her chair and reached for Max. They held each other's hands and spoke of the past once more.

The afternoon sun had sunk low on the horizon, and the sky had gone from azure blue, to golden, to hot pink and lastly red. Max and Chloe sat together in silence and watched the spectacle, as they had done so many times before. They never tired of the biggest of natures shows. The air in the veranda was chilly but they had turned on the heaters so it was still a cozy warmth where they sat. Max sat looking at Chloe for a long time before she noticed and turned with a smile and a cocked eyebrow.

"What?"

Max looked down, then up again. Her eyes now held tears.

"You know, my love, I have felt worse and worse the last couple of days."

"Yeah, I know." Scoffed Chloe. "Hard to avoid your whines."

"Harsh," said Max, still tear eyed, but smiling now, "But true. It's beginning to get close."

"I know," Said Chloe silently, looking away, then back at Max. This time tears were in her eyes too.

"How long have you known?" Max squeezed her hand.

"About a week." Chloe cleared her throat. "I am surprised you have held out this long."

"Well, it's not easy to let go." Max said. "But I think it is time."

Chloe was silent a moment. When she spoke her voice was crackling.

"You mean, like, now? Right now?"

Max looked at her and nodded weakly. Chloe made a long exhale, then tried to steady her voice and her shaking hands. Silent tears ran down the grooves of her wrinkled cheeks.

"Okay, so…so what do I have to do?"

"Oh, Chloe, you don't have to do anything, " Max smiled at her through her own tears, "just sit here by my side for a while, that's all."

It was sheer willpower that had made Max go the last couple of days, but now she felt her strength run out. No matter how much she wanted to stay in this life, her body lived on borrowed time. She just couldn't go on any longer. It was time to let go. Overtime.

"Well, there is one thing." Max said. She pointed at the sideboard again. "Can you fetch my purse? I have a blue envelope in there. Inside are some photographs. Can you get them for me?"

"Sure." Chloe reached once again over Max thin body and fetched her purse. She rummaged through it until she found the envelope, ripped it open and gave Max the photographs she found inside.

"Can you hold them for me, please?" Max said, leaning backwards in her chair with a little groan. Chloe did. They looked through them together. It was bunch of really old pictures, from when they were kids. They were of no special significance to Chloe, but apparently they meant something to Max, who pulled out one with trembling fingers and gave the rest back to her.

"Let me see" Chloe said, and leaned over to get a better look of the picture Max had chosen. It was picture of Max only; she was standing in the hall at Chloe's old house, back at 44 Cedar Avenue, making a wild face, her arms up in the air, fingers forming claws. Max looked to be about four or five year sold and very cute. The picture made Chloe smile but she could not remember the moment when the picture was taken or who had taken it. Max held the photo in both her hands, looking at it intensely.

"Now, darling," Max wheezed. "One last thing."

"Yeah? How many last things are there?" Chloe tried a laugh but it got stuck in her throat.

"This is the last one, darling." Max looked up at her with eyes big and wet. "Give me a kiss, and I'll be on my way."

Chloe swallowed a lump in her throat as she leaned over one last time, looking into Max blue-gray eyes, nose touching nose, and gave her a soft kiss. Tears wet her cheeks.

They sat silent for a while as if waiting for something, which was what they did. After a long moments, Max stirred in her chair and took a shallow trembling breath.

"Now, Chloe, my love, farewell," She said in a faint whisper, eyes already closing. "I will see you later, on the other side."

 _Ahoy captain, time to weigh the anchor._

And she was gone.


	2. Epilogue

Maxine stumbled.

"Dad!" Chloe stared at her best friend, laying on the hallway floor, motionless. "Daaaad! Maxine falled!"

"What happened, Chloe?" William came running from the kitchen, his white apron flapping around his knees, a spatula in his hand.

Chloe looked back at her dad, tears started to fill up in her eyes. "I-I don't know." She let out a little sob. "We maked a picture and she just falled down. What did I do?"

In a stride, William was at Maxine. He kneeled beside the little girl and gently turned her around. She felt very frail, but she breathed.

"Maxine?"

Maxine looked back at him with dizzy eyes, she had a faint smile on her face.

"Hey, Maxine, how are you?"

"Hi William," she said, almost whispering. "I am good."

"Look, there's blood!" Chloe pointed. "She's bleeding!"

"It's just nosebleed, Chloe. She hit her nose when she fell." William turned to Maxine. "Does it hurt?"

Maxine shook her head.

"Okay, good. But still, I think we need some acute nose surgery. Lucky for you Doctor William is in the house." William picked up the little girl in his arms and turned to Chloe. "Nurse, clear the operations table."

Chloe stared back with big blue eyes. William winked and whispered "The kitchen table, honey."

"Oh!" Chloe ran out in the kitchen and just pushed everything off the table and down on the floor. William grimaced when he heard the clattering of things falling down, maybe even breaking, but he guessed he had only himself to blame for that. He carried Maxine into the kitchen and laid her down carefully on the table surface. She fit it with some inches to spare. He stepped back and looked at little Maxine laying there, still a bit drowsy but smiling back up at him. She seemed to be all right, even though some blood still trickled from her nostrils down on her cheeks.

"Tissues, nurse." He said, and this time Chloe was in on it. She left with a sprint and returned seconds later, carrying a huge stack.

"Is this enough?" She asked with a worried face.

"Yes, nurse, this will be just perfect," he answered with a smile.

William took a tissue from the top of the stack and ripped it in small pieces. He rolled two of the pieces into little wedges of paper and carefully inserted them in Maxine's nose, one in each nostril. It tickled and it made Maxine giggle.

"Feeling better?"

Maxine nodded.

Chloe stood at her side, jumping up and down in worry.

"Maxine, please don't die. We would be together forever! You said! You promitsed!"

Max turned to her childhood friend and gave her a loving smile, her nose thick with paper towels.

"Yes, Chloe." She reached out a small arm and took Chloe's hand in hers. "I will neber die, I probis. Be are Max ad Chloe, dogeder foreber."


End file.
